Off of Japan’s Aomori Prefecture lies the Shimokita Peninsula. A remote place that is difficult to get to (even with a car), the Shimokita Peninsula is known for a couple of things. The first is Cape Oma, Honshu’s Northernmost Point and also Japan’s tuna capital. The second is the sacred mountain of Osorezan, which is both the entrance to heaven and hell on Earth in Japanese Buddhism.

For nature lovers, though, the coastline is one of the nice things about Shimokita.

On the western side of the peninsula, the coast of which forms Mutsu Bay, much of the coastline is dominated by cliffs, rocky outcroppings, and some sheer drops.

Some places are only viewable by boat; the couple of fishing villages on this side offer boat tours on ships of various sizes to view these places.

The coastline is more gradual on the eastern side, which looks out to the Pacific. There are many rocky beaches and even a few sandy ones. This part is also more inhabited, and the road to Oma is on this side, making it more travelled than the western side.

To get to this area, you will definitely need to join a tour or have/rent your own car. Public transport in this part of the world is rare and does not go to many places. You can rent a car from one of the nearby cities. Mutsu is at the peninsula’s base, Hachinohe further down the east coast, and Aomori City to the west. Each has car rental options, although Aomori and Hachinohe will include a couple of hours of driving to the peninsula.

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